Norway's Majestic Stave Churches Are Unmissable

Visiting a stave church is definitely one of the most unique experiences to be had in Norway. These elaborately carved wooden churches exist somewhere in between: between history and legend, between Christianity and the medieval Viking traditions, between the past and the present, between you and more Instagram followers. Once popular throughout the northwestern Europe, stave churches can now only be found in Norway. Here are some of them that deserve your attention.

Urnes Stave Church, Sognefjord

The oldest stave church in the country (built around 1130 CE), Urnes is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roldal Stave Church, Odda

Oye Stave Church, Valdres

Built towards the end of the 1100s but destroyed by the elements, pieces of Oye Stave Church were buried under a new church that was built later on the same spot—but by 1965 the pieces were found and the original stave church put back together.